Nissan turns over new Leaf with more range, lower price

During simultaneous events in Las Vegas and Tokyo, Nissan revealed its 2018 Leaf, which will have more power and greater electric range than the previous-generation Leaf. It will also cost $690 less.

While we were quick to note the 150-mile range is nowhere near the Chevrolet Bolt EV’s 238-mile range, we also noticed it costs about $7K less than its upstart competitor.

It’s also packed with some really neat technology.

The most significant new high-tech feature will be Nissan’s ProPilot Assist. This is a tame version of Tesla’s Autopilot, which combines adaptive cruise control and steering assist. It will control speed in stop-and-go traffic, and it will also help keep the car centered in the lane. It will not support fully hands-free driving and requires the driver to keep a hand on the wheel at all times.

Another nice bit of tech that we’ll see in the new Leaf is the e-Pedal, which will allow drivers to speed up as well as slow down simply by the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator. We’ve seen this one-pedal driving before in both the Bolt EV and the Tesla Model S. In the Leaf, the e-Pedal will even allow the vehicle to come to a complete stop on hills.

Leaf will also get a completely new e-powertrain, which delivers 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque (as opposed to 107 and 187, respectively).

For those who might be disappointed with the specs, Nissan stated in a press release it would offer a higher-power, longer-range version at a higher price for the 2019 model year.

The design of the Leaf gets spiffed up for the next-gen as well. The exterior gets a few more hard edges, the Nissan boomerang taillights and V-Motion grille. The interior gets modernized as well with a new 7-inch center display screen, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, upgraded materials and vibrant blue stitching accents.